This invention relates to interactive voice response (xe2x80x9cIVRxe2x80x9d) systems, and more particularly to a network based IVR system and method for storing and executing user queries on the network.
Many conventional information networks include IVR systems which callers use to access information stored on the network, such as a checking account balance or a stock price quote, and/or to execute commercial transactions, such as paying bills or purchasing goods. Conventional IVR systems prompt users to navigate through a menu of options by entering a query either in the form of a sequence of dial tones and pauses produced by pressing keys on a telephone touch pad or computer keyboard, and/or in the form of a voice command. Queries comprised of key strokes corresponding to a telephone number and menu option selections for navigating through a particular IVR system can be stored on devices such as a telephone speed dialer and automatically dialed by pressing a single button to more easily access a frequently called number.
However, conventional IVR systems suffer from several drawbacks. First, each time a user wants to access information from or execute a transaction on a particular IVR system, the user must reenter their query even if the query is pre-recorded on a device such as a telephone speed dialer. This can often be a time consuming process since the query may have to navigate through a lengthy series of prompts in order to access the desired information or execute the desired transaction. Second, users have to separately program each telephone handset they wish to use to execute a pre-recorded query. Third, conventional telephone handsets can only store a limited number of queries, thereby limiting the number of queries a user can pre-rerecord.
A network based system and method for storing and executing queries on an IVR system, wherein a user can store a frequently used query on the network so that they do not have to enter the query each time they want to access information from or execute a transaction on the network. The system also enables a user to program when and how often a query is executed, and where and in what form information retrieved from the network and/or confirmation of the execution of a transaction on the network is delivered to the user.